After being stifled for two years by the COVID-19 pandemic, local food pantry officials expect the National Association of Letter Carriers' "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive to come back bigger than ever for its 30thanniversary this year.
During the event, which will take place on May 14, Pine Belt residents are encouraged to fill a bag with healthy, non-perishable food and place it by their mailbox that morning. Postal carriers will then collect the food items, which will be distributed between Christian Services, Edwards Street Fellowship Center, Petal Children's Task Force, and the Salvation Army.
“This is a very important food drive, because this is where you don’t even have to get out of your driveway to be able to donate food – all you have to do is go to the mailbox and put some (there),” said Demaris Lee, executive director of the Petal Children’s Task Force. ”This summer, we’re going to have children that are out of school that we really need to feed, and we’re in desperate need of jelly, Spaghetti-Os, Ramen noodles and things like that.
“The kids need to be able to do something where they don’t have to turn the stove on. We are encouraging everybody to please … remember that this is so important for us to be able to get that.”
In addition, food collection bins will be available in the post office lobbies in downtown Hattiesburg, on 40th Avenue, and in Petal for those who receive their mail in a post office box or drawer. Participants also can drop food in the bin provided at Corner Market in Petal.
“I go (to Corner Market) every day and pick up food,” Lee said. “Also, if you’re in Corner Market, and you didn’t leave any food out (at your mailbox), you can by some food at Corner Market and put it in that barrel, and we will get it.
“That’s easy for everybody; they don’t have to worry about walking down to their mailbox. They don’t have to do anything but just say ‘this is for the task force,’ and (employees) will put it in the barrel for them. We’re hoping and praying that this is a great turnout, because we definitely need food.”
The last Stamp Out Hunger food drive, which was held in 2019, brought in more than 53,000 pounds of non-perishable food for Pine Belt pantries.
“The postal service says that it’s the nation’s largest one-day food drive,” said Ann McCullen, executive director of Edwards Street Fellowship Center. “We were just glad when it became a real deal (after COVID) and that it was definitely going to happen.
“Of that (2019 total), Edwards Street got 10,00 pounds. So that’s a really big deal, to have that kind of food donation. The Pine Belt is so generous, and people are always looking for ways to give back, and this is something the whole family can do.”
The national, coordinated effort by the NALC to help fight hunger in America grew out of discussions in 1991 by a number of leaders at the time, including NALC President Vincent R. Sombrotto, AFL-CIO Community Services Director Joseph Velasquez and Postmaster General Anthony Frank. A pilot drive was held in 10 cities in October of 1991, and it proved so successful that work began immediately on making it a nationwide effort.
“Edwards Street and all the other agencies really look forward to this food drive, because it brings in so much food at a time of year where people don’t think as much about families that are suffering with food insecurity,” McCullen said. “So the timing is great, and it’s such a great community effort to benefit all the agencies, so it’s just a very positive event.
“We’re super happy to see it coming back.”
